


For the love of cake!

by QueenyClairey



Series: My one shots [14]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Baker Alec, Bakery, M/M, Magnus loves cake, MeetCute, Sweet, appreciation of good cake!, cake lovers, matchmaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:56:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21612265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenyClairey/pseuds/QueenyClairey
Summary: Magnus loves Cake!Alec bakes Cake!A meetcute at Alec's cafe featuring Magnus appreciating cake!
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: My one shots [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1517984
Comments: 10
Kudos: 106





	For the love of cake!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darknutmeg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darknutmeg/gifts).

> From NutMeg's prompt on Twitter!
> 
> Not exactly what you asked for cos there’s a little plot...

“Oh my god!” Magnus moaned, sliding a forkful of rich fruit cake between his lips, “This is sinfully good!” He hummed and ahhed in appreciation for a few moments and then lifted a glass of creamy milk to his mouth and swallowed a slug, the flavours of cherries and almond enhanced as it slid down his throat.

Alec stared at him. From behind the counter, he had been watching intently as the slightly older man ordered almost every cake on their menu. He was only on his third taste, but already Alec was entranced by the way his adam’s apple bobbed in his throat every time he swallowed. Not to mention the moans of pleasure that were making Alec’s toes curl in his heavy work boots. He couldn’t keep his eyes away.

“Now, what’s next?” Magnus mused to himself as he sized up the sweet treats laid out in front of him.

Selecting a delicate looking lemon chiffon, he slid the tines of his fork through the generously iced top before lifting it to his mouth and sucking lightly on the ends, “Mmmm, delicate flavour, zingy but sweet. Delicious!” 

Magnus paused and wrote himself a note in the tiny black diary he always carried. To the casual observer, he could be a food critic noting down his favourites, but in fact, Magnus just loved cake. Cake any way it could be served! And pretending to be assessing the cakes meant he could eat as much as he wanted without anyone judging him. Yes, Magnus knew exactly what he was doing!

Digging out a piece of the lemon chiffon sponge, he let his eyes dart over to the counter where the brooding, dark haired man was still stood. Still pretending not to watch him. But Magnus knew. He knew exactly when he was being observed and he didn’t mind at all - this time. The man was gorgeous with his artfully tousled hair and deep set, hazel eyes. The tiny smirk raising his lips was intriguing and Magnus was considering introducing himself. 

But not until he’d had his fill of cake!

The lemon was delightful, airy and soft, but he’d had enough of soft, he wanted decadent now. 

Eyeing one of the more generous slices, he carved out a forkful of rich, dark cake covered in a layer of thick chocolate ganache. Lifting it up, he inspected the whole thing - perfect!

As he slipped it between his lips, he let out a groan of pleasure and couldn’t help himself, eyes wandering over to his voyeur behind the counter, whose cheeks had turned a light pink.

Dragging the fork out of his mouth, he let his eyes lock with the other man’s, and then he winked before focussing back on his cakes. Yes - this cake was so good it deserved a second bite. 

Alec shivered and couldn’t help the blush that stained his cheeks at the X-rated groan his chocolate ganache cake caused to slip from the other man’s mouth. It was sinful and it made him wish that he was over there feeding him his cake. It was that thought that snapped him out of his daze and spare a second to glance around the cafe. 

There were three more occupied tables, but Izzy had already served them all and now she was over by the coffee machine flirting with Simon. He knew that if he stood here much longer, she would notice and then she would tease him mercilessly about having a crush on a customer. So he spared a final glance for the man, who was finally taking a second bite of the cake in front of him and not just skipping between them, and then busied himself with wiping down the counter and rearranging the cakes in the glass display cabinet. 

Magnus was very aware of the man moving behind the counter, but his focus had been completely captured by the cake in front of him. It wasn’t like any other chocolate cake he’d had before and it was bugging him that he couldn’t work out what it was that made it different. 

He wanted to try the raspberry macaroon, he wanted the key lime pie and the white chocolate and coconut cake, but first he needed to figure this out.

He took tiny bites of the cake, savouring every one, and noted down the flavour profiles in his notebook. He was puzzled. No cinnamon or fruit, no coffee or rum. What on earth was making it so delicious?

“It’s the beetroot,” a voice said beside him, startling from his notetaking. The waitress who had served him earlier was waiting patiently at his side, her long, dark hair a halo around her face.

Magnus stared at her in surprise. “Beetroot?” he repeated, taking another forkful and suckling it from the utensil.

“Yes, beetroot. My brother loves to experiment with flavours,” she grinned, indicating the brooding man with a thumb.

Magnus followed her arm and saw that he was being watched again. The man didn’t look away this time, his face puzzled as Magnus and his sister stared at him. 

“Beetroot,” Magnus echoed again, eyes flickering over the man again in appreciation. “How clever.”

“Yes, he is clever. Not so good at the socialising part though…” the woman said, turning her attention back to Magnus after she shot her brother a frustrated look. “I’m Isabelle,” she said, holding out a hand.

“Magnus,” he replied, putting down the fork and gripping her fingers in his. 

“You like cake Magnus!” She exclaimed, indicating his table which was strewn with half-eaten slices. 

“I do. I really, really like cake!” he laughed, eyes flickering back to her brother behind the counter who seemed oblivious to anything else happening in the cafe and had zeroed in on his table again. “So, your brother makes them?”

“Yes. Alec’s the owner slash chef! I just work here to help him out with the people side of it. Like I said, he’s not the best at socialising.”

“But Alec makes up for it with his incredible cake!” Magnus said, grinning at her, “Seriously, these are the best ones in town. I’ve never had better and I know cake!”

She laughed too then, the sound attracting the attention of the young man behind the coffee machine, who narrowed his eyes and took a step towards the man, Alec, behind the counter. 

Together they gazed at the pair as Magnus invited Isabelle to sit and she gracefully flopped into his booth. 

“I don’t think I like that customer!” Simon said, coming to stand beside Alec, “I mean, who orders almost a dozen cakes just for one? And then invites the staff to sit with them? Alec, you gonna do something about this? I mean, Isabelle should be working right now!”

“Chill out Simon,” Alec replied, eyes still on the man and his sister who seemed to be having a jolly good time. “Why don’t you go see if he’d like a shot of espresso to help him stay awake for when the sugar coma hits?”

Simon stared at Alec, something clicking in his head. “You like him!” he exclaimed, finger prodding Alec’s side. 

“No. I don’t.” Alec growled, turning away from the spectacle before him and stomping into the back room with a pile of dirty dishes. 

Simon watched him go and then glanced back over to find Isabelle staring at him. Decision made, he marched over to their table and interrupted. 

“Hi, I’m Simon, Isabelle’s…friend. Can I get you anything else to drink? You certainly don’t need any more cake!”

Magnus and Isabelle looked up at him, and Isabelle’s eyes widened, “Simon! That was rude!”

“But honest!” Magnus interrupted with a laugh. “You’re right, I don’t need any more cake.”

“Well,” Simon said, still hovering by the table, “Alec suggested I should get you an espresso because you’re going to hit a sugar coma soon!”

“Oh,” Magnus said, eyes scanning towards where Alec had vanished, “He did, did he?”

“How about I go get you that?” Isabelle asked, rising from her seat and grabbing Simon’s arm, “And I’ll teach this one some manners too at the same time!”

They left then, and Magnus stared down at the array of cakes on the table in front of him, sliding plates backwards and forwards as he tried to decide what he should have next.

The tiny cup that was plonked on his table interrupted his decision making, and he raised his eyes to say thank you, but the words were caught in his throat as he found Alec hovering over him. 

Up close, he was even more attractive. Like some kind of birthday or celebration cake. 

“Umm, that’s for you.” his voice was deep and a little nervous. “It’s on the house, since you bought so much cake.”

Magnus raised his eyebrows and locked his gaze on the other man’s, then reached out for the cup and raised it to his lips, “Thank you Alexander,” he said, before he took a sip. 

He watched as Alec’s eyes traced his face as he drank. Then how his cheeks pinked softly when Magnus licked his lips. 

“Delicious and perfect with your beetroot and chocolate cake!”

“Oh, you liked that one?” Alec asked, still hovering beside the table.

“I wouldn’t say I just liked it. It’s incredible, moist and rich. It might be the best cake I’ve ever had!”

Alec took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of the cake and the earthy smell of coffee, “Umm, thanks?”

“Please sit down,” Magnus said, indicating the seat opposite him with a flourish. 

Alec sank into the booth, eyes still wandering over Magnus face and hands and hair. Awkward though he may be, this man was worth his attention. He was attractive and clearly very smart since he liked Alec’s cakes!

“Now, tell me about the lemon cake… what is your secret…”

They spent almost twenty minutes discussing cake, Magnus occasionally pausing to taste a little as Alec passionately described the ingredients he had added to bring out the different flavours. It was a masterclass in cake dissection, and Magnus loved every second. 

Suddenly, they were brought out of their little bubble as Isabelle appeared with a plate and two glasses. 

“You’ve been sitting here so long, Alec, that the new cake finished - don’t worry, Simon did everything, I’m just delivering it!”

“Oh my god! I have to go help them out!” Alec exclaimed, trying to get up, but Isabelle pushed him back down.

“No way! This is the first rest you’ve had in ages and clearly you and Magnus are enjoying your cake related discussions, stay here, we’ve got it!” Then she dumped the cake and glasses of milk in the table and wandered away.

“Is your sister always that bossy?” Magnus asked, eyeing the newly baked cake. 

“Pretty much, except that she’s not allowed anywhere near anything I’m cooking! She’s a disaster in the kitchen!”

Magnus laughed appreciatively and then eyed the cake again, indicating it with his fork, “What’s this then?”

“Traditional Dutch apple cake.” Alec replied, turning the plate to check the browned edges. “I picked up the recipe when I was travelling.”

“Wow, you need to tell me all your cake related travel stories!” Magnus said with a grin, “Now, what am I going to be tasting here?”

Alec stared at the man, he was so comfortable with him, so excited to share his recipes and to talk about anything. He was feeling overwhelmed. This man had broken through all the barriers he usually set himself and it felt amazing. 

So he reached out, fingers brushing Magnus’ as he plucked the fork from his hand and dug out a piece of the cake, “Here,” he said, holding it towards Magnus’ lips, “Try it and let me know what you think.”

Their eyes locked over the cake and then Magnus leaned in and wrapped his lips around the fork, making Alec’s breath hitch. As he slid back, he dropped one hand to cover Alec’s on the table, slipping his fingers through the other man’s.

“Mmmmm,” he groaned, fingers tightening on Alec’s, “This is the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth!”

Alec’s eyebrows shot up and he couldn’t look away. 

“But it might not be the best thing I ever have in my mouth…” Magnus continued as he swallowed. “Not, if I have my way…”

Then he darted forward and dropped a kiss onto Alec’s cheek, “Thank you master baker! You are incredible! And you can make me cake anytime!”

Mustering his courage, since all the signs were there, Alec leaned in too, “How about a master class in baking tomorrow? We could make up a new recipe together?”

“I’d love that!” Magnus replied and then held out a forkful of cake for Alec, “Try it! It’s so good when it’s still warm… I’m so glad I came here today for cake…”

“Me too,” Alec replied, “Me too.”


End file.
